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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|